Liz and Kyle are seriously cool. For starters, they are constantly chill and happy and loving towards everyone around them. They also gave us a ton of time for portraits, which included a moment when Liz asked (THE BRIDE ASKED!) if she could lay down on the ground, in her dress, all for the sake of an awesome shot. They’re also both all sorts of talented, and put on a guitar performance for all their guests at the reception, followed by a surprise song Kyle performed for Liz :)

I was also especially excited to shoot their wedding because it took place at the Higashi Honganji Temple in Little Tokyo, a place I used to frequent twice a week for taiko practice. It was so wonderful witnessing a beautiful Buddhist ceremony inside the gold-laden temple, and seeing so many of the other cultural elements Liz & Kyle tied into their wedding!

When I try to begin writing this post about Tanya & Marcus’s wedding, the first thoughts that come to mind are thankful, thankful, thankful. Thankful that Uyen introduced us months ago. Thankful to have photographed their engagement session. Thankful to have been a part of their beautiful brunch time wedding. But most of all thankful to have met such amazing people. I don’t know if you can see it in these pictures, but Tanya and Marcus are some of the kindest, warmest people I’ve ever met – not as clients, or through my work, or this job – but EVER, IN LIFE.

I often express on this blog how much I do love pretty details and gorgeous locations, but this wedding really reminded me; nevermind that their venue was in fact beautiful, or that their flowers were the prettiest shades of purple, or their dessert bar was just the right balance of lovely and delicious – in the end, it’s all about the people. And with people as amazing as Tanya and Marcus, I could have shot any level-of-fancy wedding of theirs, anywhere on earth, and it’d be the most awesome thing ever.

Another lovely wedding at the Beverly Hills Courthouse. I feel so fortunate to have been able to photograph so many beautiful ceremonies here in the last year – it started with Crystal & Marc’s last spring and they have just kept coming in! :)

Liane and Stephen made sure to allow lots of time for portraits afterwards and I love the soft and romantic shots we were able to get in the gardens just across the way from the courthouse. To top it all off, they held an intimate reception afterwards at Bouchon… I may or may not have made a stop at the bakery on the way out to load up on pastries for my drive home :)